Even looking forward to having a good laugh can boost your immune system and reduce stress. University of California-Irvine study shows that even knowing you will be involved in a positive humorous event days in advance reduces levels of stress hormones in the blood and increases levels of chemicals known to aid relaxation.

Laughter appears to cause the tissue that forms the inner lining of blood vessels, the endothelium, to dilate or expand in order to increase blood flow.

Playful laughing fuels positive energy, creativity and connection.

Boosts immune functions.

Increase's pain tolerance.

Exercises facial, abdominal and chest muscles.

Oxygenates the blood.

Improves brain functioning.We are more alert, creative, we think better after a laugh.

Laughing changes our mood. Boosts Positive Emotions.

Laughing mixed together with the positive emotions of humor,and happiness lowers the stress hormones, corticosteroids and epinephrine. The release of growth hormone and endorphins plays a role in lowering the stress hormones.

A Sense of Humor

How Well Does Your Sense of Humor Protect You From Heart Disease?The University of Maryland laughter research

A sense of humor fuels positive energy, connection and creativity.

Use humor during challenging times to transform situations.

Use humor to arouse curiosity and engage in divergent or creative thinking.

"'Humor in children has been correlated with higher intelligence, creativity, sociability, empathy, self-esteem, and problem solving.Louis Franzini, Ph.D.author of Kids Who Laugh: How to Develop Your Child’s Sense of Humor

"Humor is a powerful force that can nourish children's growth, development, health, and sense of well-being."Amelia J. Klein, editor Humor in Children's Lives: A Guidebook for Practitioners

Smiling

Smiling is Million Dollar Habit."There are five habits you can develop to assure wonderful human relationships, both at home and work.They are: acceptance, appreciation, admiration, approval, and attention.The simplest way to express acceptance of another personis simply to smile each time you see him or her."Brian Tracy, Million Dollar Habits

Malcolm Gladwell writes in Blink pages 206, "Ekman said, "What we discovered is that that expression alone is sufficient to create marked changes in the autonomic nervous system."

Humor HealsMehmet C. Oz, M.D.Heart surgeon at New York Presbyterian Hospital Columbia University Medical Center in New York CityDirector of the Complementary Medicine Program, Columbia Universityco-author of You:The Owner's Manual